The Tortoise Table

Hi y'all,
I am a new tortoise owner in Essex and I love finding new weeds for him to eat, although identification can be tricky at times!! Can you please help me out with a couple of identifications that I've attached. Thanks Jenny

Welcome to our website Jenny, and thanks for joining us. Hope you can find lots of interestin things on here.

Your photos, the one with the frilly leaves looks like to be Californian poppy but something is different about the leaf tip shape that is saying its not, have a look and see what you think - http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plan ... ant=72&c=5
Its always much better and easier to leave plants and take a photos of plants whilst in the ground so it would be better if maybe replanting this one and leaving it a week or so and sending in another photo.

The other one with the fatter leaves is Nipplewort and fine in the tortoise diet. Heres our entry for that. http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plan ... nt=260&c=6

I am also in Essex, small world isnt it - lol.

Lin

Hi Jenny, and welcome from me too (you and Lin can be the Essex girls for the TTT)!

I just thought of a few more questions to try and ID that plant of yours with the lacy leaves. Is it growing in your garden or in the wild? Also, if you rub some leaves hard between your thumb and forefinger is there a strong smell (like of carrot, dill, or fennel)? Like Lin says, it's always easier for us to ID a plant if we can see how it grows out of the ground, and if there are just leaves showing, then it is sometimes best to leave it until there is a flower, and then it is much easier for an ID.

Cheers,
Nina

How about 'cut-leaved Cranesbill' or similar. One look at those leaves made me think tiny (almost minute) pink flowers...?

Heather

That's funny you should say that, Heather. My first instinct when I saw that photo was that it might be one of the wild cranesbills with the fine cut leaves, but Lin said she was sure it wasn't, and I ended up agreeing with her. Still -- if that plant is still there, I would love to see it when it flowers to know if you and I were right!

Nina

IMO - No, defo not Cut Leaved Cranesbill.

Lin




Heather wrote:
> How about 'cut-leaved Cranesbill' or similar. One look at those leaves made
> me think tiny (almost minute) pink flowers...?
>
> Heather